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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Wire: we play what we feel like playing | Wire: we play what we feel like playing |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| They formed at the height of punk in | They formed at the height of punk in |
| the UK, releasing three albums that are generally regarded to be | the UK, releasing three albums that are generally regarded to be |
| unassailable: Pink Flag (1977), Chairs Missing (1978) and 154 (1979), | unassailable: Pink Flag (1977), Chairs Missing (1978) and 154 (1979), |
| which saw the quartet transform from noisy, minimalist pop-punkers to | |
| expansive post-punk experimenters. | expansive post-punk experimenters. |
| Those albums were a huge influence on | Those albums were a huge influence on |
| the English music to come, especially during Britpop. Blur and | the English music to come, especially during Britpop. Blur and |
| Menswear both owed them a debt, as did Elastica: to the extent that | Menswear both owed them a debt, as did Elastica: to the extent that |
| two of their biggest hits, Connection and Line Up, were transparent | two of their biggest hits, Connection and Line Up, were transparent |
| lifts of Wire songs – Three Girl Rhumba and I Am the Fly, | lifts of Wire songs – Three Girl Rhumba and I Am the Fly, |
| respectively – which resulted in an out-of-court settlement for | respectively – which resulted in an out-of-court settlement for |
| copyright infringement. | copyright infringement. |
| However, the creative pace set by those | However, the creative pace set by those |
| albums proved impossible to continue and the band acrimoniously split | albums proved impossible to continue and the band acrimoniously split |
| in 1980. Solo projects followed before the band reconvened in 1985. | in 1980. Solo projects followed before the band reconvened in 1985. |
| They’re remained fitfully active ever since, with a couple of line up | They’re remained fitfully active ever since, with a couple of line up |
| alterations: guitarist Bruce Gilbert left for good in 2007, replaced | alterations: guitarist Bruce Gilbert left for good in 2007, replaced |
| by Matthew Simms. | by Matthew Simms. |
| This will be Wire’s third Australian | This will be Wire’s third Australian |
| visit and singer/guitarist Colin Newman is curious about how the band | visit and singer/guitarist Colin Newman is curious about how the band |
| are regarded in our neck of the woods. | are regarded in our neck of the woods. |
| “I don’t really know. You do get a | “I don’t really know. You do get a |
| sense when we play somewhere that maybe we’ve toured more often that | sense when we play somewhere that maybe we’ve toured more often that |
| quite a lot of people in the audience really know what’s going on | quite a lot of people in the audience really know what’s going on |
| with us, and I know there’ll be people in Australia who will be in | with us, and I know there’ll be people in Australia who will be in |
| that same position, but there may be others who have maybe just heard | that same position, but there may be others who have maybe just heard |
| about the band. But I think everybody will be hopefully rather | about the band. But I think everybody will be hopefully rather |
| pleasantly surprised.” | pleasantly surprised.” |
| They’ve been notoriously unwilling to | They’ve been notoriously unwilling to |
| revisit their past – they once toured with a Wire tribute act as | revisit their past – they once toured with a Wire tribute act as |
| their opening band since the band refused to play any of their old | their opening band since the band refused to play any of their old |
| material – but last year’s Change Becomes Us split the difference | material – but last year’s Change Becomes Us split the difference |
| between their past and their present in a fascinating way. | between their past and their present in a fascinating way. |
| “I’ll attempt to do this in as short | “I’ll attempt to do this in as short |
| a way as possible, because it’s quite complicated,” chuckles | a way as possible, because it’s quite complicated,” chuckles |
| bassist/vocalist Graham Lewis. | bassist/vocalist Graham Lewis. |
| “Basically, Wire released 154 and | “Basically, Wire released 154 and |
| then, as was our working method, we already had written new material, | then, as was our working method, we already had written new material, |
| some of which we were already playing live. And we did a special | some of which we were already playing live. And we did a special |
| series of concerts that were kind of performance-based, and in early | series of concerts that were kind of performance-based, and in early |
| 1980 we did a performance at the Electric Ballroom and wrote a whole | 1980 we did a performance at the Electric Ballroom and wrote a whole |
| bunch of material for those as well. And then what happened after | bunch of material for those as well. And then what happened after |
| that was history, really. The band spun apart and we left the field | that was history, really. The band spun apart and we left the field |
| of play.” | of play.” |
| Because Wire didn’t revisit those pieces | Because Wire didn’t revisit those pieces |
| upon their reformation, the result was “potentially two albums | upon their reformation, the result was “potentially two albums |
| worth of material just lying around. And a lot of it was only played | worth of material just lying around. And a lot of it was only played |
| once or twice, so it hadn’t exactly been investigated or edited or | once or twice, so it hadn’t exactly been investigated or edited or |
| hammered into shape.” | hammered into shape.” |
| “So when we got to the end of 2011 | “So when we got to the end of 2011 |
| we’d been asked to do a second tour in the UK,” Lewis continues. | we’d been asked to do a second tour in the UK,” Lewis continues. |
| “And we’d been working quite extensively that year: we’d started | “And we’d been working quite extensively that year: we’d started |
| the year off with yourselves in Australia and toured pretty much | the year off with yourselves in Australia and toured pretty much |
| through the year, and the band was in a really strong state and Matt | through the year, and the band was in a really strong state and Matt |
| had very much bedded into the group. And so we didn’t want to still | had very much bedded into the group. And so we didn’t want to still |
| be doing exactly what we’d played six months ago, and we wanted to | be doing exactly what we’d played six months ago, and we wanted to |
| work on something that Matt could be part of.” | work on something that Matt could be part of.” |
| Without time to work up completely new | Without time to work up completely new |
| material the idea became to “take things from that pot of bits and | material the idea became to “take things from that pot of bits and |
| pieces and see if we could make some sense of them”, according to | pieces and see if we could make some sense of them”, according to |
| Lewis. “And some were already quite established, like [lead track] | Lewis. “And some were already quite established, like [lead track] |
| Doubles and Trebles, but then there were things that were perhaps | Doubles and Trebles, but then there were things that were perhaps |
| only a riff which was of any use.” | only a riff which was of any use.” |
| The pieces were worked up and toured, | The pieces were worked up and toured, |
| and the band were heartened by the response, and the natural next | and the band were heartened by the response, and the natural next |
| step was to head to the studio. | step was to head to the studio. |
| “We hadn’t been planning that this | “We hadn’t been planning that this |
| experiment would be ‘the next album’,” Lewis explains, “but it | experiment would be ‘the next album’,” Lewis explains, “but it |
| felt like we had to go in and resolve it one way or the other. It was | felt like we had to go in and resolve it one way or the other. It was |
| a case of combing through the rubble, I suppose, to find the essence | a case of combing through the rubble, I suppose, to find the essence |
| of things. And then we realised we had an album that we had to | of things. And then we realised we had an album that we had to |
| release as an actual stand-up album, rather than just as an | release as an actual stand-up album, rather than just as an |
| interesting project.” | interesting project.” |
| Fortunately the response has been among | Fortunately the response has been among |
| the most positive of their career and will be debuting new material | the most positive of their career and will be debuting new material |
| on their Australian tour. “We feel that we’ve got to get back ahead | on their Australian tour. “We feel that we’ve got to get back ahead |
| of ourselves.” | of ourselves.” |
| “And we play stuff from across our | “And we play stuff from across our |
| entire history,” Newman points out. “We play what we feel like | entire history,” Newman points out. “We play what we feel like |
| playing, basically. The way the industry is set up, if you’ve been | playing, basically. The way the industry is set up, if you’ve been |
| around for a while you’re not normally given latitude to be a | around for a while you’re not normally given latitude to be a |
| contemporary band, there’s only an interest in your back catalogue. | contemporary band, there’s only an interest in your back catalogue. |
| And that just isn’t the case with Wire. People are interested in the | And that just isn’t the case with Wire. People are interested in the |
| back catalogue, but not exclusively, for sure.” | back catalogue, but not exclusively, for sure.” |
| Still, it’s rather wonderful to think | Still, it’s rather wonderful to think |
| they could effectively collaborate with their own younger selves. | they could effectively collaborate with their own younger selves. |
| “It’s music that came from a strange place,” Lewis chuckles in | “It’s music that came from a strange place,” Lewis chuckles in |
| agreement. “From the embers of a fire from 30-odd years ago.” |